China backs independent Palestine with East Jerusalem as capital

BEIJING: China said on Thursday it supports an independent Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang speaking after an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Istanbul on Wednesday said that Beijing understood the concerns of Muslim countries over the status of Jerusalem, Daily Sabah reported.

Earlier, the OIC countries issued a declaration recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

The spokesperson called on the two sides to resume dialogue in order to find a "comprehensive and fair" solution to the long-standing crisis between Palestine and Israel.

The Istanbul declaration called on "the world to recognize East Jerusalem as the occupied capital of Palestine".

The declaration also rejected and condemned the "unlawful" decision of the US president.

Last week, Donald Trump announced his decision — despite widespread opposition across the Middle East — to formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate Washington's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.